Maltings at Boyes Croft (EHER 15061)

16th century and later timber-framed maltings complex.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Maltings at Boyes Croft. Maltings complex. Early 16th century and later. Grade II*. <1> Mid 16th century maltings. <2> Brick and timber framed two-storey malthouse with peg tile roof and gable ends. The west end of the building has a brick-built ground floor and the first floor is weather-boarded; the gable end has a plain wooden taking-in door. A cement rendered brick-built steeping pit stands on the ground floor and this was supplied with water from a small a cast iron pump. The upper floor was used as a granary and one of the bricks is dated ‘1833’. Beyond this lies a seven bay timber framed drying floor with walls of wattle and daub infill. The first floor is laid with Portland cement and the roof is of crown post construction. This is the earliest part of the building and is possibly mid-16th century in date. Beyond the drying floors stands a 19th century malt kiln which probably replaced an earlier structure. A brick-built fire box stands beneath a tile heat dispensing plate and the kiln takes the form of a tapering conical cone. A two-storey timber framed malt store stands at the east end of the building with a jettied first floor landing to the north. To the west and abutting the main malting is a second drying kiln which forms part of a residential development. This multi-phase malting retains many important technological features including the steep, fire-box, heat dispensing plate and a conical kiln. The process of manufacture can be understood from the surviving remains. Boyes Croft has the appearance of a small urban pre-industrial malthouse and nationally, few maltings of this date now survive. Remarkably the internal layout also survives making Boyes Croft the best example of its type in Essex, if not in Britain. The site is of major national importance and should be considered for possible Grade I Listing. Remedial repairs have been carried out and a feasibility study prepared for the County and District Councils; the building has also been fully recorded by the Essex Historic Buildings Group. A scheme of reuse is now necessary in order to preserve the long term future of the building, but this has to take account of its unique character. The steeping pit, pump and kiln structure (including the furnace, woven wire floor, tensioners and supports) should be preserved in-situ, and the existing spatial plan should be retained especially in the area of the drying floors. Any attempt to re-locate the building should be refused as this will result in the loss of its historic integrity. A museum use would therefore appear to be the most suitable option with a display on the history and technology of malting in Essex. <3> Dendrochronological samples taken produced dates of 1557-80. <4> See: <5>